Worthy Christian News > Antisemitism > Pro-Palestine Crowds Hunt Jews in Amsterdam, Injuring Several; Israel Evacuates (Worthy News In-Depth)

Pro-Palestine Crowds Hunt Jews in Amsterdam, Injuring Several; Israel Evacuates (Worthy News In-Depth)

By Worthy News’ Johan Th. Bos in Amsterdam and Stefan J. Bos in Budapest

BUDAPEST/AMSTERDAM (Worthy News) – Israel rushed to evacuate Jews from the Netherlands after the country’s worst antisemitic attacks since World War Two rocked Amsterdam following a soccer match between the Dutch capital’s Ajax and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv teams.

Numerous Jews were hunted and injured in assaults in central Amsterdam by what they said were pro-Palestine “Arabs” whom authorities diplomatically described as “scooter youths.”

Some viewed the violence as the second “Kristallnacht” or the “Night of Broken Glass,” a pogrom against Jews carried out by German Nazis and allies throughout Germany on November 9-10, 1938.

Several Israeli citizens were initially feared to have been abducted, but they were later identified, Israel’s embassy said.

Security forces detained dozens of people and rushed to protect Jewish sites. In addition, planes appeared to have been chartered to transport Jews, mainly Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans, back to Israel, witnesses at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport said.

El Al Israel Airlines confirmed it sent extra planes to Amsterdam. Israel’s government considered sending special military rescue teams but later abandoned these plans, sources said.

Amid the tensions, Dutch King Willem Alexander condemned the antisemitic attacks in a phone call with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, an official statement said.

SHOCKED ABOUT VIOLENCE

He told his Israeli counterpart that he and Queen Maxima were “shocked about the violence against Israeli soccer fans who were guests in our country.”

The king stressed, “We must not ignore antisemitic behavior in our streets.”

“Our history has taught us how intimidation goes from bad to worse, with horrific consequences. Jews should be able to feel safe in the Netherlands, everywhere and anytime. We put our arms around them and do not let them go.”

In Budapest, where dozens of heads of state and government gathered, European Union leaders also condemned the violence.

“The violence against Israeli citizens in Amsterdam recalls the most shameful hours in history,” said French President Emmanuel Macron. “I strongly condemn it and express my support to the injured. France will continue to fight against odious anti-Semitism relentlessly.”

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the EU’s executive European Commission echoed those sentiments. She said she was “Outraged by last night’s vile attacks targeting Israeli citizens in Amsterdam” adding that she spoke about the attacks with Schoof.

“I strongly condemn these unacceptable acts. Antisemitism has absolutely no place in Europe. And we are determined to fight all forms of hatred,” Von der Leyen added on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

LEAVING EU SUMMIT

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said he would leave Budapest early to deal with the situation. He said he had “been following the news from Amsterdam and am horrified by the antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens. This is completely unacceptable.”

He added that he had been in “close contact with all parties involved and have just spoken Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stress that the perpetrators will be identified and prosecuted.”

He claimed that “situation in Amsterdam is now calm once more.”

However, “We want Israelis to continue to come to the Netherlands,” he told reporters on the fringes of the summit. “We want them to be safe here. What happened now is shameful.”

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and parliamentary chairman Amir Ohana were also travelling to the Netherlands to discuss events.

They were to be met at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport by Justice Minister David van Weel and were to meet members of the Amsterdam Jewish community and anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders whose Party for Freedom (PVV) won recent elections.

They were on their way after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of a “very violent incident” and ordered the secret service Mossad to prevent similar unrest at events abroad, Worthy News learned.

Israel’s travel advice to the Netherlands has also been tightened amid concerns about more violence directed at Jews. Ironically, the Palestinian Authority condemned the “provocations” by Israelis in Amsterdam without elaborating or providing evidence.

JEWS STILL FEARFUL

Back in Amsterdam, barely 80 years after the Holocaust ended, Jews were still reeling after being forced to hide again, fearful of anti-Israel attackers hunting them.

Some appeared ready to accommodate Jewish soccer fans overnight in this city known for Anne Frank, the Jewish girl who wrote a diary about her family hiding from the Nazis.

Aviv Antzov, who arrived from Israel for Thursday’s soccer match between Amsterdam’s Ajax and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, said: “In Amsterdam, we thought we were safe. In Europe, you don’t expect this kind of thing. This had nothing to do with Maccabi. This wasn’t hooliganism. This was purely because we are Jews.”

In various places in Amsterdam, fleeing Jews were taken in by safe houses as pro-Palestine Arabs, described by authorities “scooter youth” searched for them.

Among those arranging safe houses was of Esther Voet, editor-in-chief of the Nieuw Israëlietisch Weekblad (New Israeli Weekly). “The [messages platform] app showed panic messages about people who could no longer reach their hotels. My colleague drove to Amsterdam and picked up people from the streets here and there and put them in safe places. This is the only thing we could do.” Some Jews told reporters they were “Deadly afraid of never being able to see my child again.”

Help came too late for a 43-year-old man who was seen sitting with trembling hands on the bed of his room in hotel Manofa in the Damrak area of central Amsterdam. Reporters noticed a huge red bump on his forehead. Many fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv had rented a room in one of the cheap hotels on the Damrak, a stone’s throw from Central Station.

“The game was great, despite the loss. But what do you want, Ajax is a strong team. I came for the atmosphere, and the Ajax fans were our friends. I had never seen the Johan Cruijff Arena before. Impressive,” he told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf (The Telegraph).

ATTACKED BY GROUP

But after the game, won by Ajax with 5-0, it went wrong, recalled the man, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of more violence.

When he got out of the subway and wanted to bridge the few hundred meters (yards) to his hotel, he was suddenly smashed to the ground “by a group of Arabs, Muslim youth.”

They were “Arabs, yes, Muslim youth. Dressed in black, wearing hoodies and balaclavas to cover their faces. Some had with Palestinian flags around their necks. Before I knew it, I was on the ground and they were kicking my head.”

He managed to reach Hotel Manofa with the help of friends. It turned out to be a refuge for many more hunted Israelis. “There were eighty to a hundred of them inside here,” recalled hotel manager Peter Quame, who said he had not slept all night. “They were crammed on the stairs, in the hallways, in our small reception. It was terrible.”

Quame said he called the police, but told him they could do nothing. “They said to keep them inside because it was not safe for them outside. Some already had a room here, and others just rented a room because they did not dare to leave.”

He was among at least about 30 supporters of Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv club who were injured, including five requiring hospital treatment, Amsterdam police said.

The five later left the hospital, said René de Beukelaer, chief officer at the Dutch Public Prosecution Service

MANY DETAINED

Of the 62 people detained in connection with the violence in Amsterdam, ten are still in custody, including eight adults and two minors, he added.

Security was stepped up around key Jewish sites after reports of vandalism, officials said. Temporary emergency rule was introduced in the region, including Amsterdam and its suburb Amstelveen, known for its large Jewish community, Worthy News learned. Amstelveen’s Mayor Tjapko Poppens told Worthy News he met injured Jewish people. He also said he had been chairing talks about the crisis within the “Triangle”, the consultation between the mayor, the chief public prosecutor, and the police commissioner.

“We look back on a pitch black night, and even today, it is still dark,” added Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema about the antisemitic violence against supporters of the Israeli soccer club Maccabi Tel Aviv.

“Boys on scooters went crisscross through the city, looking for supporters”, said Halsema. “It was hit and run.” She said that many “were beaten and kicked, after which the rioters quickly fled, fleeing the police force that was massively on their feet.”

However, Halsema, a leftist Green politician, has faced criticism for allowing perceived antisemitic Pro-Palestine protests. She said she “understands very well that this brings back the memory of pogroms, “the originally Russian term for large-scale and excessive violence against Jews.

The attacks against Jews happened on the eve when the Kristallnacht was commemorated in the Portuguese synagogue. “Unbearable and indigestible,” said Halsema about the attacks. “I am furious. I’m ashamed of the behavior of rioters and criminals.”

However, the mayor has come under pressure after allowing numerous violence tainted pro-Palestine protests in recent months, even near the opening of the Holocaust Museum, where survivors endured antisemitic slogans.

A Holocaust survivor told Worthy News she was once again on her guard, a sentiment shared by many Jews.